title: Early colonization of intestinal bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in the postoperative neonates with congenital intestinal atresia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the early colonization of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli (B&L) in the postoperative neonate patients (NPs) with congenital intestinal atresia (CIA).
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was conducted in Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai, China between February 2009 to August 2010 on 18 postoperative NPs with CIA (NP group), and 20 healthy full-term neonates raised by breastfeeding (healthy group). The fecal B&L in the 2 groups of neonates were consecutively quantified by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction on 6 different time points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean levels (log/g feces) of B&L in the NPs group were significantly lower than in the healthy group at the end point of study (bifidobacteria: NPs [6.3] versus healthy [9.9]; lactobacilli: NPs [6.9] versus healthy [7.6]). Significant differences between the 2 groups also existed on the colonization time (days) of the intestinal B&L (bifidobacteria: NPs [5.8] versus healthy [3.0]; lactobacilli: NPs [4.2] versus healthy [1.2]). Both groups colonized lactobacilli earlier than bifidobacteria. During the study period, levels of bifidobacteria in the NPs group were continuously decreasing compared to lactobacilli, which was opposite to the healthy group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The colonization of the intestinal B&L in the postoperative NPs with CIA was severely interfered. The proliferation of bifidobacterium was more restrained than lactobacillus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Shanghai 6th People's Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ren
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jinjin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007409:Intestinal Atresia / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000254:growth & development*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies